When Not Sipping Shaken Martinis, James Bond Turns to a...Heineken?

James Bond’s drink order—a martini “shaken, not stirred”—has been imprinted upon pop culture history since Goldfinger debuted in 1964. But in Skyfall, the upcoming installment in the franchise, some viewers may be shocked to see Daniel Craig sipping from a Heineken bottle instead of a cocktail glass.

In an attempt to curb the uproar over product placement, the film’s producer, Barbara Broccoli, points out that the character in the book series has always enjoyed a range of drinks. And, if you check the film archives, Roger Moore’s Bond quaffs champagne at one point in Let and Let Live.

Even if he starts pounding Buds, Bond and the shaken martini will always be linked in most fans’ minds. And it turns out the his preference is not just style over substance. NPR talked to chemist George Christou about the science of shaking a martini and found that the action “better remove[s] very volatile organic compounds from the liquid [alcohol] and air oxidizes some of the other organic compounds present, affecting its taste.” Christou compares it to letting red wine breathe before service.

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